Autopneumatic music-playing instrument.



PATENTED DEC. 22, 1903.

; G. W. HAYWOOD.

AUTOPNEUMATIO MUSIC PLAYING INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1903.

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AUTOPNEUMATIC MUSIC PLAYING INSTRUMENT.

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UNITED STATES.

Patented December 22, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE GEORGE W. HAYWOOD, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO WILCOX & WHITE COMPANY, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

AUTOPNEUMATiC MUSIC-PLAYING INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION formingpartof Letters Patent No. 747,551, dated December 22, 1903.

Application filed June 1, 1903. Serial No. 159,450. (No model.)

gether with the accompanying drawings, is a specification sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable persons skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to autopneumatic musicplaying instrumentssuch as automatic pianos, piano-players, automatic organ s,&c.-wherein there are employed a traveling music-sheet, operating mechanism, 7 a,

pneumatic motor-engine for supplying power for the advancement of the music-sheet across 29 the tracker, and a pneumatic regulator for governing the speed of said motor-engine, but more particularly to the construction and combination of means for enabling the operator supplementary to the general tempo-adjustment devices to modify and control the tempo regulation at desired places in the music, a prime object of myinvention being to provide a simple, efficient, and convenient means whereby the operator can temporarily o accelerate or retard the tempo-action without interfering with the established adjustment of the general tempo-stop as arranged for any particular musical composition.

Another object is to provide, in combination with an automatic pneumatic regulator that governs the supply of air to the motoreugine in a pneumatic music-playing instrument, of a controlling means adapted for temporarily increasing and decreasing the effect- 0 ive tension of the regulator-pneumatic above or below its normal tension.

Another object is to provide, in combination with {an expression-stop or controlling mechanism, a tiltable finger-operative tablet or device and connections therefrom adapted for controlling the tempo-regulator and disposed for convenient manipulation in conjunction with said expression-stop.

The nature and operation of mechanism whereby I attain these objects are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 represents a front-view diagram of such parts of an autopneumatic musicplaying instrument as embody my invention. Fig. 2 is a top view, on somewhat larger scale, showing the relative arrangement of the controllertablet, the accentuation stop lever, and tempo adjuster. Fig. 3 represents a transverse vertical sectional view of the pneumatic regulator and a side view of the controller connections. Fig. 4 represents a side View of the regulator-pneumatic and its tension-spring. Fig. 5 is a separate front view of the tiltable finger-tablet, and Fig. 6 shows a vertical transverse section of the gate-box and valves for the motor-exhaust passages.

Referring to the drawings, A denotes the frame or casing, B the bellows-reservoir, and B the exhausters for inducing vacuum or air pressure; C, the wind-chest containing the series of pneumaticactions; D, the tracker;

E, the music-winding spool, and F the stop or handle-lever for operating the soft-pedalactuating mechanism at G. All of said parts may be of well-known or any suitable construction, and therefore need not be herein more fully shown and described.

M indicates a pneumatic motor-engine of suitable kind for supplying power to operate the music-sheet-winding mechanism. Said So motor-engine is connected with the bellowsreservoir B by a direct passage H, controlled by the reroll stop-valve h, and with the pneumatic regulator I by an air-passage J, controlled by the tempo-adjusting valve t, and said regulator is connected to the bellowsreservoir by a passage K, the air being drawn from themotor through the regulator when the instrument is in playing operation, as heretofore practiced. These passages may go be disposed in the bottom conductor L in any convenient manner, as side by side, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 or as in Fig. 1, wherein they are shown as end to end for clearness of illustration and with openings into the reservoir at b b or at other convenient position.

In the present instance the valves h andt are arranged within a gate-box O, which is disposed adjacent to and connected with the motor M by a passage on; but, if desired, said valves can be arranged in other well-known or suitable manner. The valve h is operated by the reroll-stop R and suitable connections 0', '1", 7' and 0". The valve 15 is operated by the tempo-stop T and suitable connections 25' 25 by which said valve t can be adjusted for giving the proper tempo or time for any musical composition.

The regulator I, which consists of a twochambered box connected with the passages J and K, comprises apneumatic device having a movable member or hinged back piece 1 and flexible bellows-fold sides 2' and an interior valve 1 linked to the movable member, as at l, is arranged for partially closing, more or less, a windway between the chambers by the collapse or expansion movement of the movable member I of the pneumatic under the influence of the induced vacuum and the resistance of the tension-spring, as heretofore practiced.

S indicates the resistance or tension spring of the regulator. Said spring may be arranged in any suitable manner, but is preferably made, as shown, with its lower end attached to a block (3, pivoted on the exterior of the regulator-box and its upper end resting against an arm 7, pivoted to the upper part of the movable member I of the pneumatic. A screw 8, threaded in a stationary block 9 and impinging against the spring S, (see Fig. 4,) serves for establishing the tension or normal resistance of the regulatorpneumatic to the exhaust influence of the wind-inducing apparatus.

As a feature of my invention I combine with the regulator-pneumatic means for temporarily applying force in augmentation of or in opposition to the influence of the resistance-spring for thereby causing the regulator for the time being to act at a higher or lower pressure or tension. This means in the present instance consists of a tilting fingerpressible tablet or lever 12, fulcrumed at 13 in the front part or run-board A of the case and adjacent to the pedal-actuating handle or lever F. Pivoted to one end of said tilting tablet at 1-. there is a connecting-rod 15, the other end of which is joined to one arm of a cranked wire or rocker l6, fulcrumed in bearings 17 on the wind-chest O or other suitable support and having its-other arm connected by a baror rod 20 and pivot-joints 1S and 10 to the movable member or back piece 1 of the regulator-pneumatic, as best shown in Fig. The top face of the tiltable tablet 2 is marked Ritard at one end and Accelerando at the other end or with such other appropriate indicating-marks as may be in any instance desired. The tablet 12 is preferably disposed in such near relation to the handle-lever F that said lever and the tablet can be depressed by the finger while the handle-lever is simultaneously held or manipulated, as desired, by one and the same hand.

Thepedal-operating mechanism atGis con structed of known form and is actuated by a crank lowerend of therod F, \vhichis worked by the handle-lever F, swung around to the dotted linef. (Shown on Fig. 2.)

In the operation the tempo-stop can be set at any desired position, thereby establishing an adjustment of the valve '6 that will give the general tempo for the particular piece of musicquick, moderate, or slow, as the case may be-and with the motor M running under the air-pressu re maintained by the normal regulator tension. Then at any part of the music the time can be quickened by the operator pressing a finger upon the accelerando end of the tablet 12 and tilting it, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5, the movement and pressure being transmitted through the connections 15, 16, and 20 to the regulatorpneumatic I and causing said pneumatic to resist the closing action of the air-pressure to a somewhat greater degree than is effected by the normal resistance of the tension'spring alone. In similar manner by pressinga finger upon the ritard end of the tablet the force thereoflacting through the connections, tends to force inward the movable member of the pneumatic in opposition to the spring and contract the passage, thereby causing a less amount of air to flow through the motor and decreasing its speed of action beyond the degree eifected by the spring alone. Then the finger is raised from the tablet, the speed at once assumes the originally established tempo, since there has been no disturbance in the adjustment of the tempo-stop T and valve 25 operated thereby.

As I am aware that changes may be made in the construction of my invention by those skilled in the art without depart-ing from the nature and scope thereof as expressed in the claims, I do not wish to be limited to the particular forms and construction herein shown.

\VhatI claim as of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination, forthe purpose set forth, a windway -passage, means for inducing a wind-current therethrough, a valve for controlling said passage, a regulater-pneumatic device internally communicating with said windway passage, and having a movable member with a connection for moving said valve, a tension-spring for said pneumatic, and an extraneous operating means connected with said pneumatic for temporarily applying force thereto in accord with or in opposition to the normal action of the tensionspring.

2. The combination with a pneumaticregulater comprising a pneumatic having a movable back board, a regulating-valve connected therewith, and a tension-spring for expanding said pneumatic, of a manually-operated means connected therewith for applying force in opposition to or augmentation of the springpressure.

3. In an autopneumatic music-playing instrument, in combination with a pneumatic regulator comprising a pneumatic chamber having a movable member, a valve operated by said member, and a spring for pressing said member-and giving tension for said pneumatic in opposition to the air-pressure exerted thereon, of a manually-operated means independent of said spring for temporarily varying the tension of said regulator-pneumatic for increased or diminished effieiency from the normal spring-exerted tension.

4. The tempo-controllerconsisting of a tiltable finger-pressible tablet or lever, a rocker device, a rod connecting said tablet and rocker, and a rod connecting said rocker to the movable member of the regulator-pneumatic; in combination with the regulatorpneumatic; the regulator-valve, the motorengine, and the Wind-inducing apparatus in an autopneumatic music-playinginstrument.

5. In a mechanical music-playing instrument, the combination, of a motor-engine, wind-inducing apparatus, a tempo-adjusting valve and actuating-stop therefor, a regulator-pneumatic, a regulator-valve operated by said pneumatic for controlling the motor-current, means connected with said regulatorpneumatic for temporarily increasing or reducing its efiective tension, and a manuallyoperated device adapted for receiving fingerpressure for actuating said tension-varying means.

6. In an autopneumatic music-playing instrument, in combination with the motor-engine, the tempo-adjusting devices, and pneumatic regulator mechanism for controlling the motor-current; .a tiltable finger-pressible device fulcrumed in the run-board, and intermediate connections joining said tiltable device with the movable member of said pneumatic regulator.

7. In an autopneumatic music-playing instrument, in combination with the pneumatic regulator, the tempo-adjusting valve and its actuating stop, and the pedal -contr0lling handle and connections for working the softpedal mechanisms; of means for temporarily varying the effective tension of the regulator-pneumatic, and a tiltable tablet or device for actuating said means, said tablet disposed at a position near said handle to be reached and operated by the fingers of the hand While holding said handle.

8. In combination, as described, the regulator-box, its pneumatic having the movable back member and regulating-valve connected therewith, the tension-spring mounted on a pivoted block and pressing against an arm pivoted to said movable member, an adjusting-screw for varying the tension of said spring, a rocker or angle lever fulcrumed on a suitable stationary support, a rod connecting one arm of said rocker to the movable regulator member, a tilting finger-pressible tablet fulcrumed in the casing, and a rod connecting said tablet with the other arm of said rocker, for the purposes set forth.

9. In an autopneumatic music-playing instrument, in combination as described, the exhaust-reservoir, the conductor having airpassages leading thereto, the motor-engine, the gate-box connected with said motor-englue and air-passages, and including the reroll-valve and tempo-adjusting valve there in, the reroll-stop and connections, and the tempo-stop and connections for respectively operating said valves, the spring-tensioned pneumatic regulator controlling the motorcurrent, means for increasing or decreasing the pressure on the regulator pneumatic, and a rocking tablet-stop, and connections, for operating said pressure-varying means.

10. In an autopneumatic music-playing instrument, a tiltable tablet supported in the GEO. W. HAYWOOD.

Witnesses:

F. E. BEMIS, FRANK 0. WHITE. 

